Mission Network News

New Zealand (MNN) ― Crossroad Bible Institute's David Schuringa says they're launching their fourth distribution center in New Zealand this month. "They are following other western countries and escalating incarceration rates and opening two new prisons this year. Put this in perspective with the fact that they didn't even have a department of corrections before 1995."

So, there's a need for an inmate discipleship program. A team of co-directors of the Australian center met with Prison Fellowship workers Henry and Peggy Landkroon in New Zealand, and the shared vision clicked.

It's their second center in the South Pacific and follows new ones in Canada (1998), Australia (2002) and Colombia (early last year).

Schuringa says, though the seed for the New Zealand Center was planted long ago, their Australian team only recently saw the puzzle come together. "The lessons from those in prison in New Zealand were being sent to the Australian distribution center and corrected by Australian instructors. But then, they began to recruit instructors and they began to train instructors there. The program received almost immediate acceptance in the New Zealand churches."

There are already over 100 students and 35 instructors actively participating in the New Zealand program with the promise of phenomenal growth.